This workshop provides an introduction to digital accessibility standards and practices and gives participants hands-on experience with assessing, testing, and implementing accessibility practices in the physical and digital realm.

We’ll start this workshop by talking about what accessibility entails: why it matters, and who is excluded when we don't adapt our online and physical spaces to account for varying ability levels. Then, we'll explore the business case for developing accessible technology. Isn't your business (your art project, your retail store) going to be more successful if everyone, regardless of their ability, can access and enjoy it?

Next, we’ll dive into the technical details with a straightforward overview of the latest accessibility standards (the new 2018 Revised 508 Standards, the first major update since 2001, and the W3 WCAG standards). Then, we’ll work in small groups to practice hands-on accessibility testing. Finally, we’ll reconvene, share our progress and findings, and develop plans for implementing accessible development in our day-to-day work.

Instructor: Amelia Abreu is a design researcher and the founder of UX Night School. She's worked with clients like Nike, Mozilla, Microsoft, and Intel. Before entering the industry, she did graduate research in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Washington.